Google officially backed off its antitrust fight with Microsoft in Europe on Friday. The company withdrew a formal complaint it filed last year, choosing instead to let European regulators handle the issue through a broader investigation they launched earlier this month.
Previously, Google accused Microsoft of using unfair tactics to trap customers on its Azure cloud platform. They argued that once a business began using Microsoft’s tools, technical and financial barriers made it nearly impossible to switch to a competitor such as Google Cloud.
However, the strategy shifted after the European Commission announced last week that it is investigating whether the industry’s biggest players effectively control who can compete. Giorgia Abeltino, a policy head at Google Cloud, explained the move in a blog post. She stated they are withdrawing the complaint specifically because the EC is now assessing these “problematic practices” through a separate process. She noted that Google will keep talking to regulators and customers to push for a fair market, but the immediate need for their specific grievance has passed.
The stakes in this sector are massive. Amazon currently leads the pack with 30% market share, followed by Microsoft with 20% and Google with 13%. The EU’s new probe focuses on whether Amazon and Microsoft have become “gatekeepers” that choke off competition.
If the Commission reaches that conclusion after its year-long review, the consequences under the Digital Markets Act would be significant. Being named a gatekeeper means facing a strict rulebook of “dos and don’ts.” These rules would legally force the giants to make their systems work better with rivals. This would give European businesses more freedom to move their data between Amazon, Microsoft, and Google without facing penalties. By stepping back, Google is betting that the EU’s sweeping new rules will do a better job of leveling the playing field than a single private complaint could.
